The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-042275 and 2001-042277, filed on Feb. 19, 2001, the entire contents thereof are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle having no cabin. It is to be noted that the xe2x80x9clight vehicle having no cabinxe2x80x9d in the present invention may be any of a two-wheel car, a three-wheel car and a four-wheel car of the saddle-ride type and the seated type, and may include or not include a prime mover. For example, a motorcycle, a scooter, a bicycle and so forth are included in the two-wheel car.
2. Description of Background Art
In a conventional motorcycle, scooter or the like, various locking mechanisms for preventing theft or mischief such as, for example, a main stand locking apparatus, a steering handle locking apparatus, a seat locking apparatus and so forth are provided at suitable locations of a vehicle body. Those locking mechanisms can be locked and unlocked arbitrarily by a driver operating a locking operation section provided on the vehicle body side through a key operation.
Meanwhile, in four-wheel cars in recent years, an apparatus wherein a door locking mechanism can be locked and unlocked without a key by means of a remote lock operation apparatus which uses an infrared signal.
Thus, it is a possible idea to make it possible to lock and unlock the locking mechanism for a light vehicle such as a motorcycle having no cabin without a key by means of a remote lock operation apparatus which uses an infrared signal.
In this instance, the light vehicle is different from a four-wheel automobile in that it does not have a cabin which is surrounded by a roof, a side door and so forth, and an entire appearance of the vehicle body including a handle part and members around the handle part is exposed widely to the outside. Accordingly, when it is intended to provide an infrared receiver on an outer face of such a vehicle body as just described (particularly at the handle part or a member around the handle part), it is desired to eliminate alteration of an appearance part of the vehicle body to the utmost, thereby making the infrared receiver less striking.
Further, a light vehicle without a cabin may suffer from having the infrared receiver exposed to the sun, wind and rain, and also subject to mischief. In order to prevent such problems, it is necessary to additionally provide a special guard mechanism or waterproof mechanism for the infrared receiver. This increase the cost.
Meanwhile, the directivity required for an infrared receiver for the light vehicle generally is within the range of 45 degrees on the left and the right with respect to a longitudinal center line of the vehicle body as viewed rearwardly from the position of the left and right handle grips of the vehicle in the forward and backward direction of the vehicle body as seen in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the mounted position of the infrared receiver is preferably set to such a position at which the receiver can cover at least the directivity range without being influenced by the seat or a vehicle body rear portion.
The present invention has been proposed taking the foregoing into consideration, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle which can satisfy the requirement described above, and is simple in structure and light in weight.
In order to attain the object described above, a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle having no cabin of the present invention included a portable infrared transmitter, an infrared receiver capable of receiving an infrared signal emitted from the infrared transmitter, a lock actuator capable of locking and unlocking a lock mechanism incorporated in a vehicle body, and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the lock actuator based on the infrared signal received by the infrared receiver. Further, the infrared receiver is provided on a switch case having a switch operation element manually operable by a passenger and provided on a steering bar handle of the vehicle.
Accordingly, since the switch case with a switch operation element conventionally provided usually on a bar handle of a light vehicle can be used also as a support part for the infrared receiver, the support structure can be simplified and its weight and cost reduced. Further, since the switch case is disposed at a base portion of a handle grip of the bar handle which is usually provided at a higher position than the seat or a vehicle body rear portion, through the fact that the infrared receiver is disposed on such a switch case as just described, the range of directivity of the infrared receiver required for a light vehicle of the type described can be covered readily without being influenced by the seat or the vehicle body rear portion.
Additionally, the invention includes a control unit formed as a unitary member from the control apparatus and the infrared receiver is held on the switch case. Accordingly, since the infrared receiver and the control apparatus are formed as a unit, the structure of the remote lock operation apparatus can be further simplified and reduced in weight and size. Also, the work of assembling the structure together with the vehicle is further simplified.
Further, a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle having no cabin of the present invention includes an arrangement wherein the Infrared receiver is disposed on a meter having a transparent cover and provided at a position at which the meter can be visually observed by a driver and is covered with and protected by the transparent cover.
Accordingly, since the Infrared receiver is covered with and protected by the transparent cover of the meter, even if the vehicle does not have a cabin covered therearound with a roof, there is no possibility that the infrared receiver may be exposed directly to a wind, rain or the sun, or be subject to mischief by a third party. Besides, since the transparent cover provided originally for the meter serves also as a protective cover for the infrared receiver, there is no necessity to provide a special guard mechanism or waterproof mechanism for the Infrared receiver. Further, since the meter is usually disposed at a position higher than the seat and the vehicle body rear portion in the proximity of the central portion of the vehicle body in the leftward and rightward direction, the range of directivity of the Infrared receiver required for a light vehicle of the type described can be covered readily without being influenced by the seat or the vehicle body rear portion.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.